Roll Away Your Stone
by TheHinkyPanda
Summary: A quick trip to Mystic Falls in 1864 sends Addie O'Malley into hiding for 150 years. One night, with no memory of how she got there, she finds herself outside of a bar across the country, dealing with a Ripper and trying to figure out how she got there. Things become more complicated for her as she faces her biggest fears and an even bigger evil. All kinds of pairings.
1. Prologue

**Roll Away Your Stone**

**Prologue**

_Georgia, 1863_

She should have known better than to take a group of all men.

She could hear them whispering, plotting behind her. Mutterings of vampire and worries over her leading them all to their death continued until they were deep in the woods. Slaves were superstitious; she wondered why more hadn't caught on to what she was.

An unsettling quiet fell behind her. If they planned an attack on her, it would only end in their capture and possible hanging due to the fact that the Confederate encampment was just east over the ridge. The night patrol would be in hearing range if there was a struggle. She would either have to let them take her down or just run, exposing their location. Before she could choose a plan of action, one of the men grabbed the back of hood and pulled her down to the forest floor.

Muffling her cry of surprise, she raised a hand only to have sharpened stick impaled completely through her palm. The wood burned enough that she couldn't keep her silence, a pained groan emerging from her throat. A lantern bobbed into view on the ridge and the slaves scattered further into the woods. Gritting her teeth, she yanked the stick out of her hand and rolled to her feet. With the stick removed, the wound was already starting to close.

"Who's there?"

She shook out her skirt, trying to wipe the majority of the blood so it would be hidden in the folds.

"O'Malley, the cook."

The footsteps slowed and the lantern was lowered so not to blind her. "What on earth are you doing out here?"

Out of all the soldiers to stumble across her, she was fortunate it was Damon Salvatore. He hadn't seen the true ravages of war and still maintained the naiveté that only comes with youth. Her running slaves for the underground railroad shouldn't cross his mind. "I couldn't sleep so I thought some fresh air might help."

"You're hurt."

"It's a scratch, nothing more."

Despite her protest, he had already placed the lantern on the ground, pulled out a white handkerchief and wrapped her hand in it. "You should see the medic."

"I believe the medic has much more grievous wounds to tend to than mine but thank you."

He frowned slightly. "Well, now I'm in a bit of a conundrum."

"How so?"

"Do I leave you out here with the group of slaves who turned on you or do I offer to be your escort to the next underground point?"

Her silence would condemn them all so she laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He looked thoughtful for a moment and retrieved his lantern and snuffed out the light. "I think I should escort you to...wherever you are going."

"What?"

"My father always told me to be a gentleman first." He gave her a half smile. "I never asked if being a gentleman is more important than committing treason so we'll say it's more important to be a gentleman and leave it at that."

She wondered if he was trying to deceive her, expose her and the slaves she was trying to get to freedom. But every second she tried to figure that out was precious time slipping away and costing her the cover of darkness. If she was still caught outside when the sun came up, nothing would matter then. She would have to trust him. And if he betrayed her, she would have to compel him. "Fine. Let me gather them together and we'll go."

"I will keep an eye on the ridge."

She ventured out into the area where she could hear heartbeats beating in the underbrush. Every few seconds, she turned and could see that Damon was keeping his word of keeping an eye on the ridge. He made no noise, no signals. Perhaps his desire to help was genuine.

"Is it safe, Miss Addie?"

She turned back to see four out of the seven slaves emerging from their hiding spots. "Yes, I believe it is."

"I'm sorry-"

Addie held up her hand to stop him. "It doesn't matter. These are frightful times and we have to move past that fear. Night is going to end quickly and we must reach the border by sunrise."

It didn't take long to have all seven men, quiet and single minded on their trek north. The sight of a confederate soldier joining their numbers unsettled some of the slaves but when he walked beside Addie, they realized he was there for her more than them. The time passed quickly and soon she could see the dim light of a small cabin that sat a few miles from the state line.

"Wait here," Addie told them before approaching the cabin. She knocked on the door and it was opened almost immediately by the daughter of her contact.

"We were getting worried."

Addie nodded. "I know. We ran into a slight delay outside of Atlanta."

"Papa says you're going to have to change routes soon. General Sherman-"

"Yes, I'm well aware of where the General is but thank you for the warning." Addie whistled and soon the seven slaves were safely inside the cabin. She was going to have to be quick in getting back to the camp. Using her vampire speed was out of the question as long as Damon was with her. She just hoped he could keep up with her at a steady pace.

"What was that about General Sherman?" he asked her when the cabin was out of sight.

"You just assisted me with running slaves, Mr. Salvatore. Don't tell me you're concerned with your duty to the South now."

"Hardly," he laughed. "Just curious is all."

"Let's just say I fear for anyone and anything that is going to be in Mr. Sherman's path. I don't believe it will end well."

"You speak as if you've lived through war before."

"Once you've seen one battlefield, you've seen them all."

"So why do this?"

Addie smiled. "I guess I've always believed in the side of those who are caught in the crossfire. Besides, the Constitution of the United States says that all men are created equal and that includes the slaves."

Damon gasped dramatically. "Yankee."

"Rebel."

A full fledged smile broke across his face. "Are you referring to me or you? Because I must say your ideas are quite rebellious."

"Something tells me your heart isn't exactly in this war. How is that? Rumor has it in the camp you come from a wealthy, well respected family in Virginia."

"My father is well respected, as is my younger brother. Apparently I need to reform my ways."

Addie shook her head. "I've never understood that mentality. War isn't the answer to anything. All it does is destroy lives, bodies, minds and places. How can anything good come from something like that?"

"Then where would we look for heroes?"

She stopped and turned to face him. "What?"

"How many slaves have you run through Georgia? There were seven tonight. How many more?"

"About twenty or so, I suppose."

"Well, then there's at least twenty-eight people who know that there is a hero that will emerge from this war. As long as she doesn't get caught."

For a brief moment, she believe him. She always wanted to be a hero. But the feelings quickly faded because she was reminded of the time, the sun and what she really was. "I'm not a hero, Mr. Salvatore. I'm afraid I never will be."

"Of course you won't be." He smiled again. "You already are. And you know what every hero needs?"

"What?"

"A side kick."

Addie laughed. "And that's you? My side kick?"

"Until my leave comes up in a couple weeks, yes. I will gladly be your side kick."

It had been so long since she had a friend. She could protect him as well. If suspicion ever arose, she could just compel him to forget everything that he was ever involved in, even her, and he would be safe. And maybe, just maybe, after the war was over, she would find him again.


	2. Chapter 1: The Return

**Roll Away Your Stone**

**Chapter One: The Return**

_Present Day_

Addie O'Malley had spent the last one hundred and fifty years living by herself. After her horrific trip up to Mystic Falls in 1864, she had moved out west, isolating herself in a small beach town in California. So it was an immense shock when she found herself outside a bar in the middle of nowhere with no memory of how she got there.

The smell of blood was strong coming out of the building. Years of drinking animal blood helped with the flare of instinct that always rose to the surface but it still caused her heart to race. Taking a steadying breath, she pushed open the door to the bar. The sight that greeted her was macabre. Bodies were draped over pool tables, the bar, propped up in chairs and flung across the dining tables. It was hard to not notice the gaping neck wounds on all the victims.

A ripper.

"Get out."

Addie stepped further into the room. It sounded like the voice was coming from behind the bar. She eased around the corner and saw someone sitting on the floor with their knees drawn up to hide their face. Maybe they weren't a ripper, just a new vampire with no guidance. Either way, they needed help.

"Hey."

"Go away," came the response. "Just leave."

"I would if it didn't look like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre in here and if you were in a better condition."

He finally looked up at her, pained hazel eyes set in a pale face smeared with blood. "Who are you?"

"Addie O'Malley. And you are?"

He shook his head slightly and went back to staring in front of him.

"Are you a new vampire?" Addie inched closer to him. "There's things you can do to curb the cravings."

He laughed harshly. "I know. I know it all. Coffee, liquor, animal blood."

"So you're a ripper then." Addie sat down next to him on the floor. She had no idea why she was there or what brought her there but it was obvious that there was a reason. Whether it was for the man sitting next to her or for something else entirely, she had to do something for him.

He looked over at her warily. "Why are you still here?"

"Because you're not the first ripper I've encountered. Although you are the first one to show remorse."

"It's...a very long story."

"I would very much like to hear this long story but first, we have a bit of a mess to clean up." Addie stood up and started to gather up liquor bottles. Every body she checked to make sure they were dead before dousing them with the alcohol. Once the bodies were covered, she started to soak the bar as well.

"What are you doing?"

Addie rifled through the drawer behind the register and pulled out a box of matches. "Cleaning up. No one is going to question a building made out of old timber and filled with liquor going up in the middle of the night. I would ask for you to step outside before I strike the match though."

"It would be better if you left me in here."

Remorse was one thing but guilt bordering on suicide was another. This was no standard ripper she was dealing with. "Look, I've been hiding for a 150 years. I go to sleep one night and wake up in front of this bar. I don't think that happened by chance."

"Maybe you were sent to strike the match."

"And maybe I was sent to save your sorry ass." Addie squared her shoulders. "I don't even know if I have a car out front so why don't you go check while I finish up in here and together we'll figure out what's going on."

He finally looked at her again with those troubled eyes. "I don't want to be like this."

"Which is why I'm not snapping your neck and leaving you here to die in an inferno."

He reluctantly started for the door in halting steps where he paused on the threshold. "Stefan."

"What?"

"My name, it's Stefan Salvatore."

Addie was glad she had her back to him so he couldn't see her reaction, her shaking hands. Salvatore. The name that drove her into hiding was now the name that brought her out of it. This was no coincidence, it couldn't be. This was going to be a long story indeed. Closing her eyes, she stilled the nerves that had appeared and struck the match. She tossed it onto the bar and walked out of the bar.

Stefan was standing next to a dusty Kia with a rental sticker on the back window. "Looks like you did rent a car."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys. "Apparently I did. Do you have a place to stay around here?"

He shook his head. "Mystic Falls is about ten miles up the road."

Addie swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. "No, I can't go back there."

"You've been to Mystic Falls?"

"Once, a long time ago." She gave him a small shrug. "I have my own long story."

"Fair enough."

"Drive until we find a hotel? In the opposite direction of Mystic Falls?"

Stefan nodded. "Yeah, I'm not too keen on going back either."

Addie unlocked the door and slid behind the wheel. The bar was well on its way of burning to the ground by the time she pulled out of the parking lot. Her mind was filled with questions, concerns and a deep rooted fear of what exactly was going on. But she needed to focus on the problem at hand. They needed a place to go, to get out of sight and exchange their long stories. Perhaps there would be answers to be found in their stories.

She certainly hoped so because the idea of those answers lying in Mystic Falls did not calm her in the least.


	3. Chapter 2: Withdrawl

**Roll Away Your Stone**

**Chapter Two: Withdrawal**

Addie, the redheaded harpy, took his daylight ring.

Stefan shook his head in an effort to clear it. No, he couldn't think of her like that. She was helping him, making it impossible for him go out into the sun and rip apart the maids that were cleaning the other rooms. She must have had her own daylight ring since she was sitting in a direct beam of sunlight, most likely to protect herself.

She was a small framed woman, barely over five foot if that, with a mass of red-gold curls tied back in a ponytail. She was dressed comfortably: jeans, boots and a long sleeved t-shirt. Nothing was protected on her and she looked so fragile. It would be very easy to overpower her. Snap her thin little neck, grab his ring-

"Stefan."

He found himself standing, half way across the room with no memory of getting up from the bed that was against the far wall. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Are you hungry still?"

He was always hungry. The Ripper was never satisfied. "Yeah."

She got up and went to the mini-fridge, pulling out a couple of blood bags and handing him one. "Animal blood, not human."

He held the bag in his hand, his stomach turning at the thought of it not being human blood. "We're doing this cold turkey?"

"Cold mountain lion, actually." She poured hers into one of the plastic cups next to an ice bucket. "I find they taste a bit better than deer. Most carnivores do."

He popped off the seal and took a sip, trying not to look pained as he swallowed it. "It's not bad."

"After your binge it probably tastes like sewage. No need to sugar coat it with me."

God, she reminded him of Lexi. Maybe that was who sent her to that bar. He had seen stranger things in his life. "So is this what you do? Go around the world with your animal blood and try to reform rippers?"

She returned to her chair in the sun. "Actually, I have been by myself for the last one hundred and fifty years."

Even with the bloodlust raging in his chest, it was easy to start putting pieces together. She didn't want to go back to Mystic Falls and she had been sheltered for the last one hundred fifty years. "Interesting amount of time that you've been holed up."

For the first time since he had met her, she looked uneasy. "How so?"

"My brother and I were turned about one hundred and fifty years ago in Mystic Falls, which happens to be a place you don't want to go to." He took another swig of the blood, this time it was going down easier. "Just makes me curious."

"I can understand that."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Not a chance. I'm more concerned about your ripper self right now. Staying here in a motel with lots of transient guests isn't the smartest idea. We're going to need someplace that's more secluded until the cravings go away."

His first thought was the Gilbert lake house but realized that couldn't be a possibility. He promised to leave town, leave Damon and Elena alone. Silas was still out there too and the longer he thought Stefan was still locked in a safe at the bottom of the Quarry the better. But the desire to be in familiar territory, where he might possibly be able to make contact with someone to make sure everyone was safe was incredibly strong.

"What are you thinking about, Stefan?" Addie had moved from her chair and was sitting cross legged on the bed across from him. "Your energy completely changed just then."

"I'm worried about my friends. I want to make sure they're okay but I don't want to intrude."

"If they're your friends, why would it be an intrusion?" She smiled slightly. "Long story, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, one of us is going to have to give and spill soon."

He actually smiled and relaxed. "Go ahead. Nothing's stopping you."

"Funny man. I say you go first."

"Coin toss. Heads, I'll tell my story, tales you tell yours."

Addie nodded and pulled a coin from out of her pocket. She flicked in the air and caught it easily. "Oh dear, heads."

Stefan checked and indeed, it was heads. He treated the story like he would a bloody bandage that was stuck to a wound: the quicker he spit out the words , the sooner he could get the pain over with and move past it. It was interesting to watch Addie's expressions during the retelling of the last few months. When he mentioned Katherine in passing, Addie shifted uncomfortably. Silas' name made her frown but when he mentioned Damon and Elena, her eyes saddened.

"And so three months of being locked in a safe and drowning continually ended with someone pulling me out of the quarry, dying in the process and then began the binge at the bar where you showed up."

"That is quite a story. I must admit, I've never heard of doppelgangers before."

"Neither had I until a few years ago."

Addie went over to the mini-fridge again and pulled out two more blood bags, handing him one. "We're going to need to find someplace else to crash. Is there anywhere you can think of that would you close enough to your friends to possibly be in the loop of what's going in Mystic Falls without actually being in Mystic Falls?"

"Elena and Jeremy have a lake house not too far from here that they use every once in a while. Only certain people are allowed on the property so we could find something around there."

Addie went over to one of her bags that she had carried into the room and pulled out a lap top. "Let's see what's for sale or rent around the lake then."

He choked down half the bag of blood. It was getting a little better but the itch under his skin was still there. The sound of multiple heartbeats coming from the various rooms thudded in his ears. "You're really going to stick around and babysit me?"

"Well, until I figure out what exactly I'm doing here, that's a good a plan as any. Here," she turned the screen so he could see. "It sits across the lake from the Gilbert's house. Let's just hope they won't have a telescope and like to peep into windows like we're going to do."

"It's for sale, not rent."

Addie shrugged. "Four generations of inheritances are sitting in my bank account. If I don't spend some of it, the bank thinks I'm being shifty. It's time I move some of it around and it just so happens, I enjoy water front property. I'll call the realtor tomorrow. I can compel him to move the paperwork along quickly, for the sake of the hotel guests."

"Speaking of those," he drained the rest of the bag and dropped it into the trash can. "If I'm going to have to sit here all night with them sleeping peacefully in their beds with no worries of a ripper in their midst, I'm going to need a bit of distraction."

Addie eyed him suspiciously. "20 Questions or I Spy?"

"How do you know Damon?"

She sipped on her blood bag for a few seconds. "I met him down in Georgia during the Civil War."

"Before he was a vampire."

"Yes."

Stefan leaned back against the far wall and crossed his arms. "Well you heard my story. I think it's time to hear yours."


	4. Chapter 3: The Price

**Roll Away Your Stone**

**Chapter Three: The Price**

_Mystic Falls, 1864_

_There had been a spring snow that covered Mystic Falls by the time Addie had reached the town. She and the last group of slaves that she was conducting kept to the tunnels that ran under the ground so they wouldn't have to worry about covering their tracks in the pristine snow. However, once the group was safely ensconced in one of the local's home, a business owner name Pearl, Addie headed out into the moon was half full but when reflecting off the snow, it lit up the night and made it easy for her to find the Salvatore mansion. _

_Sherman was going to start his Atlanta campaign so Addie decided it was time to abandon the Atlanta encampment. That, added to just how much she missed her "side kick" made the decision for her. Damon had spent two months with her running slaves through the encampment to various Underground Railroad stops. They had grown to be friends during that time and when he went on leave, her heart ached in a way she had never experienced before._

_One of the cooks had told her that she was in love but Addie had brushed it off as nonsense. Until she ended up crying herself to sleep in the pre-dawn hours when she received word he wasn't returning to the encampment. The first chance she saw at slipping away, she took it, along with the eight slaves that were working in the kitchens and wanted to leave. She lead them up from Georgia, through the Carolinas and finally into Virginia._

_She debated the whole time she was traveling north about telling Damon that she was a vampire. If he returned her feelings, then she would have to make that confession. Having a wife who didn't age or couldn't produce children would certainly be things he needed to be aware of before he chose to be with her. But if he did accept what she was, that brought a whole another set of complications. Would he rather stay human or would he be open to being turned by her? She would certainly give him all the choices available and respect whatever he decided. But the thought of spending an eternity with him, bettering the world in ways other than running slaves, brought a joy to her that had taken her almost a hundred years to attain._

"_Where do you think you're going?"_

_Addie stopped just a few steps from the front porch of the house and turned to see a woman emerge from the shadows. In all their talks, Damon had never mentioned a lady of the house, just his father and brother. "My apologies, I know it's late to come calling but I just came into town and I was-"_

"_Who is it, exactly that you're here to call upon?" The woman's dark eyes glittered dangerously. She was dressed in finer clothes than Addie herself but it was the air of authority that she wielded that caused Addie to feel suspicious._

"_Who are you, exactly?"_

_A cold smile played across the woman's lips. "Someone who resides here. Who are you here to see?"_

_Addie tried to keep her hands from fidgeting. If this was the woman's residence, she very well could be the step mother and making an enemy of her wouldn't be prudent. "Damon Salvatore."_

"_Damon."_

_Addie didn't like the way she said his name. It made her skin crawl. "Yes. We met-"_

"_I don't care. You're going to leave-"_

_Heat rose to Addie's face. "You can't compel me so just stop. I came to see my friend and I will see him."_

_Addie turned and started for the front porch again when a blinding pain erupted from her shoulder blades. Her breath tangled in her lungs as she blinded reached behind her, trying to find the handle of the stake in her back._

"_Let's try this again."_

_The woman twisted the piece of wood and Addie dropped to her knees. She could feel the wood up against her heart._

"_You are going to leave this town and never look back. If you ever return to Mystic Falls, I will make sure to drive a stake through your heart."_

_Addie watched her blood drip onto the snow before her sight blurred with tears. She could leave Mystic Falls, that would be fine. She could draw Damon out of the town and meet with him then. She nodded her agreement. "Fine…fine. I'll leave…and never…come back."_

"_Good." The wood twisted again. "And if you ever try to contact or speak with Damon Salvatore again, I'll put the stake through his heart. Do you understand?" _

_She couldn't find her voice or even enough breath to answer the woman. The stake twisted again and Addie gasped. "Kill me now, then." _

"_What?" _

_The stake was removed and Addie sat up straight, finally able to breathe a bit easier. "I've walked the earth as a vampire for a hundred years. I've never been in love until now. I don't know if I ever will be again." _

_The woman made a sympathetic sound and came to stand in front of Addie. "You really do love him, don't you?" _

"_Yes, I do." _

"_How pathetic." _

_Addie flinched. "What?" _

"_You see, I want both brothers and am well on my way of getting them. Then you show up, spouting off about love and wanting to lay claim to one of them. I can't have that." The woman rested her hands on Addie's jawline. "I can't have you breaking up the set. My promise stands firm. You come back, you get the stake. You contact Damon, he gets it." _

_And then everything went dark. _

* * *

"Apparently, she snapped my neck and left me out by the woodpile."

"Sounds like Katherine."

Addie sighed. "I didn't find out her name until the next day. Apparently Pearl sent one of the slaves I ran up to Mystic Falls over to check on me. He took me out to the cottage by the Quarry. Emily was there when I woke up."

"Emily Bennett?"

"The one and only." Addie sat back against the headboard and crossed her arms. "She gave me a daylight ring, I think as an apology for Katherine's treatment of me. Or she just felt pity for me."

"So then what happened?"

Addie smiled sadly. "I went west, young man. And I never came back. Until now."

"Did you ever find someone else?"

"One hundred and fifty years is a very long time." Addie tried to make it sound like she had moved on from that snowy night in 1864. But that was far from the case. She had one hundred and fifty years of heartache behind her now. And without a humanity switch to dim the pain of a lost love, she felt the same sense of loss as she had when Katherine Pierce snapped her neck.


	5. Chapter 4: Reunion

**Roll Away Your Stone**

**Chapter Four: Reunion**

"Dammit, Stefan!"

He had to admit, after seeing Addie compel the realtor to have the paperwork done in a day for the purchase of the lake house, organize the moving of new furniture and basically have them moved into the house by the end of the week, he didn't think his contacting Damon would have set her off the way it did. He had told her that morning that he made the call and Damon and Elena were on their way. She had yet to stop cursing at him.

"How could you not expect me to call my brother? He's out there looking for me!"

"Didn't you listen to me when I told you about Katherine? If he comes here-"

"Nothing will happen! Katherine's out of the picture."

"How are you so sure of that?"

"Because Damon told me that Katherine is human again." The announcement still didn't quite make sense to him but a more lengthy explanation was promised.

"A human with a stake is still just as deadly, Stefan. If she finds out I'm here, Damon and I are both dead."

"First of all, you're not in Mystic Falls. Secondly, I initiated the contact with Damon. You're free and clear, Addie. Breathe."

She opened her mouth to say something but quickly shut it. For the first time since he met her, she was fidgety and ill tempered. Maybe she wasn't angry.

"You're scared," he ventured.

"I'm upset that you did this behind my back."

And then he realized what the real issue was. "You still love him."

She crossed her arms and glared at him from across the breakfast bar in the kitchen. "You don't…understand everything. It's more complicated than that."

"We have fifteen minutes before they get here. Explain it to me."

"I don't even understand it myself. I'm just…broken."

At least she was talking rationally so Stefan sat down on one of the bar stools. "How so?"

Addie went back to finish making the pot of coffee she had started. "When I was a human, I was very-"

"Stubborn."

A flicker of smile tugged on the corner of her mouth. "Compassionate, actually. I was very active in the Philadelphia community in the 1850's and 60's volunteering and fundraising. When I was turned, that compassion became amplified. So much so, it over rode my humanity switch. I can't turn off my humanity at all but I also can't lessen the feelings that I have either."

"You'll never stop loving him."

"Not until the day I die."

And he thought watching Damon with Elena was going to be hard for him. "I'm sorry."

Addie smiled sadly. "Well, Tennyson did say it was better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all. Even if I had a chance at turning off my humanity, I don't think I would do it. I would lose everything that makes me, me."

"I certainly wouldn't recommend it."

"Please, don't tell Damon about this."

Stefan shook his head. "No, I wouldn't. That's between you two."

"Thank you."

"It's the least I can do." The doorbell rang and Addie immediately went rigid. "It'll be alright."

She nodded tightly and forced a smile before following him to the front door. He barely had the door open before Elena charged over the threshold and threw her arms around him. He accepted the hug but was acutely aware of Addie standing in the shadows of the alcove. Thankfully, Damon followed Stefan's line of vision and peeked around the doorway.

"Addie?"

Stefan let go of Elena and turned to see Addie smiling slightly easier than before.

"Damon."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, stepping inside the house.

"That," Stefan broke in, "is a long story and needs to be told behind closed doors."

Addie immediately the led the way to the kitchen while Stefan shut the door. By the time he reached the kitchen, Elena was already sitting at the breakfast bar, a cup of coffee in her hand.

"So how do you know Damon and Stefan?"

"Stefan I only met a few days ago," Addie poured herself a cup of coffee and just held it her hands for the warmth. "Damon and I met before he was a vampire."

Damon actually smiled. "We ran slaves across Georgia for a few weeks."

"Weren't you in the Confederate army?" Elena asked.

Addie grinned over the rim of her cup. "He wasn't a very good Confederate."

Damon motioned to Stefan. "So where have you been, brother?"

He would have to be careful about how he told them just where he spent the last three months. Both would feel guilty for not knowing, not looking and that wasn't something that they should feel. But he couldn't lie either because Addie would tell them the truth. The only way he could do this was to make it sound as flippant as possible.

"Silas locked me in a safe and dropped me to the bottom of the Quarry."

Just as he thought, Damon and Elena looked horrified.

"How did you get out?" Damon asked.

"The only thing we can come up with was I let him out," Addie answered. "But my memory is spotty at best. I'm missing very large chunks of time. The only thing I do remember clearly was finding Stefan in a backwoods bar a few days ago."

Thankfully she left out the tiny detail of how he slaughtered all the patrons and staff. "So here we are. Addie doesn't know why she's here. Silas is out there pretending to be me and only he knows what his agenda is."

"We know it has something to do with Katherine," Elena stated. "We just don't know what exactly."

Stefan still needed to hear the explanation of how she managed to get her hands on the cure. "Where is she now?"

"Staying at the Hotel de Salvatore," Damon commented drily. "The sooner she leaves the better but since Silas has the whole of Mystic Falls out looking for her, the safest place for her is out of the line of sight."

Stefan tried to ignore the panicked look Addie was giving him. "Does Silas know she's human again?"

Both Elena and Damon shrugged.

"So," Damon put the coffee mug, "here's the recap: 2000 year old immortal warlock with a major chip on his shoulder and some serious psychic powers is roaming around Mystic Falls looking for the now human Katherine. Meanwhile, my brother gets pulled out of the Quarry by an ex-abolitionist vampire with selective amnesia who just so happens to show up at this time."

Stefan nodded. "That about sums it up."

"Then here's the real question," Damon continued. "Who's doing the mind wipe on Addie, Silas or someone else entirely?"

Stefan had to admit the thought of Silas controlling Addie didn't even cross his mind.

"Wait," Elena spoke up. "Why would Silas bring someone else in to release Stefan from the safe? If he wanted Stefan free, he would have done it himself."

The sentiment didn't seem to soothe Addie in the least. "If it is possible that Silas is the one affecting my memories, then I should probably not be around any of you. If he can get into my mind I don't want him to know anything that he can use to gain the upper hand." She started to leave the room. "Move Katherine but don't tell me where."

Elena frowned. "She knows Katherine too?"

"I didn't even know she was a vampire until today." Damon shrugged. "So, Stefan, pack your bags and come on home."

Stefan listened to the footfalls on the steps leading up the second floor and then as they continued to third floor. Addie was putting as much distance between them as possible. She was here for a reason and they needed to figure that out but someone needed to keep an eye on her as well in case she decided to just leave in the middle of the night and disappear for another 150 years.

"Actually, I was thinking of staying here for a little while."


	6. Chapter 5: Friends

**Roll Away Your Stone**

**Chapter Five: Friends**

Addie shut the door to the third level loft and went straight for her violin case. If she strained her ears, she could still hear the conversation downstairs. She had to drown them out. The less she knew the better, especially if it was Silas that was messing about with her head. Opening up the battered case, she lifted her mother's violin and ran her thumb over the strings. The instrument had been the one constant in her life as a vampire. It was also the thing of her mother's that she had, the only thing that brought her comfort these long years.

"It's not Silas, you know."

She jumped at the sound of another voice in the room. Turning, she expected to see Stefan or Damon but the man standing in the corner of the room was not either of the brothers. He was taller, broader with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. He looked just as startled as she was.

"Wait, you can hear me?"

Addie pressed the violin against her chest, a ward for whoever or whatever this man was. "Yes, I can hear you."

He laughed, sounding relieved. "You have no idea what that means to me! I've been shouting at everyone for the last two months and you're the first one to hear me." Then he looked puzzled. "And I don't even know you."

"You're a ghost?"

"Yeah, I am. And don't give me that disbelieving look. You're a vampire. You don't get to not believe in the supernatural."

"True." She released her death grip on the violin and put it back in the case. "So, who are you exactly?"

"Alaric Saltzman."

"That's a mouthful."

He grinned. "That's why most people call me Ric."

"I'm-"

"Addie. I know. You may not have been able to hear me but I can hear you all quite well."

Addie sat down in one of the leather wingback chairs by the fireplace as Ric sat down in the other one facing her. "You said 'It's not Silas.' What does that mean?"

"Silas isn't the one that's been messing with your mind. He doesn't even know you exist. And from what I can gather on this side, we need to keep that way."

"Do you know who has been in my head rearranging things?"

He scrubbed a hand over his face. "A witch, I can't tell which one though. All the witches that are on this side are excited about you being so close to Mystic Falls for…something."

"Witches." Addie shook her head. "I've only known one witch during my entire life and that was a very brief amount of time."

"Who was it?"

"Her name was Emily Bennett. She gave me a daylight ring for some unknown reason."

Ric's head turned to the side as if he were listening to another conversation that Addie wasn't privy to. After a few seconds, he smiled slightly and turned back to her. "Emily says she gave that ring to you because of the slaves that you ran up from Georgia, three were her brothers and two were cousins. All five made it safely to Canada. It was a thank you gift and something more but she won't tell me what else it does."

"That was very kind of her." Addie looked down at the silver and garnet ring on her hand. It was a simple thing, nothing large or overpowering on her small hand. "Can she tell you anything about why I'm here?"

"Not yet."

"Is it related to Silas at all?"

He nodded. "Yes, it is but that's all they're saying. Apparently, I'm to be their spokesperson now."

"Lucky you."

"At least I can talk to someone now. That's better than the alternative."

"I'm sure."

"Sure about what?"

Addie turned to see Damon standing in the doorway of the room. She glanced back to the chair across from her only to find Ric had disappeared. "Sure that I very well could be losing my mind."

He shrugged. "Happens to all us at some point."

"Where are Elena and Stefan?"

"They decided to go a walk around the lake."

"You didn't go with them?"

He sat down in the chair where Ric had been. "And miss catching up with an old friend?"

Addie grinned. "Watch the use of 'old'."

He grinned back. "You're the one losing their mind."

"True."

"So, where have you been for the last hundred and fifty years?"

Addie knotted her fingers together so she would fidget with them. "California. Gold rush and all that excitement. I liked it enough out there, I stayed."

"Did you make it big with the gold rush?"

She laughed. "I did, actually. I purchased some land in a town called Bodie, struck it rich and got out. It was a rough town, as most of them were. I settled along the coast and have been there since."

"That's it? That's all you've done?"

"Yes."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "That doesn't sound like you."

Addie forced herself not to shift under his scrutiny. "How so?"

"When I met you, you were a cook for the Confederate Army and ran slaves at night. You also helped with the medics though I now assume that was your feeding time. You never struck me as someone content to sit back and do nothing for so long."

"Well, maybe you didn't know me as well as you thought." She groaned at his shocked looked. "Sorry, it's been a long few days."

"Yeah, hanging out with Stefan can do that to you."

"So, what have you been up to for the last 150 years?"

It was his turn to look uncomfortable. "Not a lot of good, unfortunately."

"Hm, a Confederate who helped an Abolitionist ends up not behaving himself as a vampire. What a shocking turn of events." Addie paused in the conversation. It was getting too easy, too comfortable. She was realizing just how much she had missed him over these years and she couldn't allow herself to feel that way, not when he belonged to someone else. "Tell me about you and Elena."

She expected him to light up at the opportunity to talk about this epic love that Stefan had described to her but instead, he seemed to sink lower into the chair and grow even more pensive. "You'll get along well with her. She's smart and brave, kind. She's very special. I've never come across someone who's been kicked around so much by life and still manage to get up in the morning and want to face the day."

Addie listened as he told her about the long list of people she had lost over the last couple years only, of how she became a vampire, the search for the cure and now this event with Silas looming over them all. "She sounds pretty incredible."

"She is."

Addie couldn't figure out why he sounded so sad though. Glancing over at him, she saw Ric had reappeared and was standing next to Damon's chair.

"He's going to need a friend," Ric said. "Someone he can talk to."

Addie nodded minutely, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that she was conversing with someone Damon couldn't see. She mouthed "why" and Ric looked even sadder than Damon.

"Because in the end, it's always going to be Stefan."

She could definitely relate to that, loving someone who was destined to love someone else. Ric was right, he was going to need a friend. Isolation only made the pain worse and she didn't want to see him suffer as she had. "I may not know why I'm here or understand anything of what's going on with this Silas character but, it's good to see you again."

His easy smile returned. "It's good to see you too, even if you are a Yankee."

Addie pulled the throw pillow from behind her back and tossed it at his head.


	7. Chapter 6: Playing Hooky

**Roll Away Your Stone**

**Chapter 6: Playing Hooky**

"You're sure about this?"

Bonnie nodded her head. "Yes, I am."

Jeremy Gilbert knew if Damon or Elena found out he had skipped school to run an errand for Bonnie, who only he could see, they would be livid. Added to that, they still believed her to be traveling the country when in fact she had been dead for three months now, they would be beyond livid. Hunter or not, having two angry vampires was not a situation he was willing to find himself in just yet.

"But are you sure about handing your grimoire over to a complete stranger?" The leather bound book was safely stored in his backpack and weighed heavily on his shoulder.

"We're not going to just hand it over to her. Talk to her, ask her questions and then I'll let you know if we should hand over the grimoire."

"Alright. I'll follow your lead." Jeremy rang the doorbell of the lake house that was just around the corner from his own. It didn't take but a couple seconds for the door open and he was face to face with the new vampire in town. Elena and Damon had described her as kind hearted and highly intelligent but all he could think of at his first glance was how tiny she was. She had to be barely five foot tall and looked to weigh about ninety pounds.

"Can I help you?"

Her voice was just as unassuming as her stature but it was enough to snap him back to reality. "Oh, yeah, I'm Jeremy Gilbert."

Her green eyes showed no spark of recognition but briefly cut to the left, as if she was listening to something he couldn't hear. She smiled slightly. "Oh, right, Elena's brother. Come on in."

No sooner did he step across the threshold then she asked him something else.

"Who's your friend?"

He turned to see her looking directly at Bonnie.

"You can see me?" Bonnie asked.

"Shouldn't I be able to?" Addie laughed nervously. "Oh, I see. You're a ghost too."

Before they could ask who she was seeing, Jeremy and Bonnie both saw Alaric step up behind Addie. Bonnie rushed over to him and hugged him, no doubt happy to have someone she could actually interact with on the other side now. However it left Jeremy and Addie staring awkwardly at each other until the red head extended her hand.

"Addie O'Malley. It's nice to meet you."

He shook her hand. "Likewise."

"Wait a minute," Ric broke in, "shouldn't you be in school?"

Addie raised her eyebrows. "Does your sister know you're here?"

Jeremy sighed. "Yes, I should be in school and no, Elena doesn't know I'm here."

"What do you think, Ric?" Addie asked. "Do we need to a make a phone call?"

"No, let's hear what they have to say." Ric broke into a smile. "Then we'll decide if we need to turn him in."

Addie nodded. "Good thing Stefan's out hunting with Damon and Elena. Do you want some coffee?"

"Coffee sounds good." Jeremy took a seat on one of the barstools at the kitchen island. When Addie handed him the mug, she slid a plate full of blueberry muffins in his direction as well.

"When I get bored, I bake."

Jeremy grabbed one of the muffins. "Great. When I get bored, I eat."

Addie smiled and poured herself a mug of coffee. "We should get along just fine then. So, what brings you here for this covert meeting?"

Jeremy motioned to Bonnie since his mouth was full at the moment.

"Well, when Jeremy told me that you had shown up with no memory of getting here, at first I thought Silas brought you here. But you've been here for close to two weeks now and Silas hasn't made any attempt to contact you or lure you out into the open."

Addie shook her head. "No, he hasn't."

"Have you had any more black out periods?" Jeremy asked.

"No, not a one. All my time is accounted for since I arrived."

Ric raised his hand. "I can attest to that."

"Good. Then that means that Silas didn't bring you here. Someone else did. I'll try to ask around on this side to find out who it is but until then…" she nodded towards Jeremy's backpack. "This might be able to help with the why you're here."

Jeremy pulled the old grimoire out of the bag and set it on the kitchen island. Addie set her mug down and ran her fingertips over the cover.

"A Bennett grimoire. That's something sacred."

"You know of other Bennett grimoires?"

Addie nodded shyly. "I actually have one, a small one, of Emily Bennett's. She sent it to me right before she died. I have it with me, upstairs."

Bonnie looked excited, a lot happier than Jeremy had seen her recently. "Can I see it?"

"Of course. Maybe you can even tell me what it means."

Jeremy watched Addie leave the kitchen and turned to Ric. "So why are you here? How do you know Addie?"

He shrugged from his standing position by the stove. "I don't know Addie and I don't know why I'm tied to her. The spirits on this side aren't exactly telling me too much. She's trustworthy, I can tell you that with certainty." Ric turned his sight to Bonnie. "Why do you think she's here?"

Bonnie glanced over to the doorway where Addie had disappeared. "I think she's here to bind Silas and send him to the Other Side."

"Wont' she need magic to do that?" Ric asked.

Bonnie nodded. She had told Jeremy that last night when they were looking through her grimoire but it still sounded odd. "I still don't understand how she's the one that can do that."

"Vampires can't do magic," Ric added. "So how could she be the one to cast the spell?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I don't know but there's something written in my Grams grimoire that I don't understand, something about the caster dying twelve times before the spell is cast. It's part of a binding spell but it seems to have been written in pieces with each generation. Emily's grimoire doesn't have anything about the spell so I'm hoping it has that missing piece that better explains the whole dying part of it."

Addie returned with the book, a small leather bound journal that looked less used than any of the grimoires that Jeremy had laid eyes on. She handed it to him with a slight smile. "I tried making sense of it but gave up after a few read throughs. Hopefully you'll have better luck."

Jeremy took it and put it in the backpack along with the other Bennett grimoire. They chatted for a few minutes before Jeremy thought it best to leave before his sister returned to find him not in school. It wasn't until he was in the car, pulling out of the driveway that a realization dawned on him.

"Bonnie, you said that in your Grams' grimoire, this binding spell called for the caster to die twelve times."

"Yeah, it did."

"Well, I can only think of one kind of creature that would be able to die twelve times."

"But we're still stuck with a vampire though. Vampires can't do magic."

"Maybe a special one can."

Bonnie gave him an incredulous look.

"You mean to tell me that a mysterious vampire shows up to town to stop Stefan from going on a ripper binge, who happens to have one of your dead relatives journals and has no idea who or what brought her here? I'd say that makes Addie pretty damn special."

Bonnie was quiet for a few minutes before she let out a sigh. "Maybe you're on to something. Let's look over the grimoires more and maybe we'll have an answer by this evening."


	8. Chapter 7: Magic

**Roll Away Your Stone**

**Chapter Seven: Magic**

Addie knew when her cell phone rang close to midnight, it wasn't going to be good news. Setting aside the book she was reading, she picked up her phone to see it was Jeremy Gilbert. Frowning, she shut her bedroom room and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Addie. It's Jeremy. Did I wake you up?"

"Not at all but shouldn't you be in bed? First skipping school and now staying up late? Not a good road to go down, Jeremy."

He laughed. "Did Ric put you up to saying that?"

"No, that comes straight from my maternal side. Ric's taking the night off apparently. So what's going on?"

"Bonnie and I were looking through the grimoire that you gave us today and we think we've figured out a binding spell strong enough to get rid of Silas."

"Really?" Addie started pacing around the room. "That's wonderful! But why are you calling me?"

Jeremy was quiet for a moment. "Bonnie wants me to ask you if you've ever done magic."

"No, never. Vampires can't do magic."

"That's what we were thinking but there's no other way to translate what the grimoire's are saying. They say that the caster of this spell needs to be a vampire because…"

"Because?"

"The caster needs to die twelve times over in order to complete the spell. Only a vampire or an immortal is capable of doing that."

Addie settled on the window seat. "So we find an immortal witch."

"There aren't any. Bonnie thinks you're the one to do the spell. She thinks someone on the Other Side brought you here to do this." Jeremy sighed. "She wants you to try."

"Try to do magic? How in the world am I suppose to do that?"

"She says to concentrate on something small, like a candle. Just picture in your mind the wick burning and just kind of mentally push out to make it light."

"I don't have a candle in my room. I'll have to go downstairs to get one but I don't want Stefan to know about this yet."

"Is he still up?"

"Yeah, you want to talk to him?"

"No, that's okay. But there is something else that I wanted to call you about."

Addie closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're just full of news tonight."

"Damon and Elena broke up. He's on his way over there to crash on the couch until she goes back to college."

"What happened?" Addie snapped her mouth shut. "You know what, not my business. Sorry."

"It's fine. Today when Stefan, Damon and Elena all went hunting, Stefan told them about Bonnie being dead thinking they already knew. It was a rough afternoon over here."

"I bet. And she wants to be alone during this time?"

Jeremy sighed. "We've lost a lot of people over the last few years. We've become professional mourners, it feels like. Sometimes, being alone to process or to throw yourself into a distraction helps get you through it."

"Not like having a loved one or a close friend beside you while you grieve though."

"I don't think the break is permanent. Damon is convinced it is but I'm not so sure."

Addie heard the doorbell ring and Stefan going to answer it. "Sounds like Damon just got here."

"You want me to let you go?"

"No, I'll let Stefan handle it. He'll keep an eye on Damon, you need to watch out for Elena."

"I will. She's waiting for Caroline to show up any minute now." Jeremy laughed slightly. "Bonnie says there'll be a memorial planned by tomorrow afternoon."

"Let me guess, Caroline is a distraction person."

"Caroline is…hard to describe. You'll have to meet her. You'll like her."

"I'm sure. Well, go wait with your sister and tell Bonnie I'll try the candle thing but don't expect much."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

"After school."

"Fine. After school."

Addie hung the up the phone and sat motionless for a few minutes. She could hear Stefan and Damon downstairs in the kitchen, their voices just quiet murmurs. There were five bedrooms in the house and Stefan felt enough at home to dole one out to his brother so she was certain neither one would come looking for her. Getting up from the window seat, she went over to her bedside table and opened the drawer. Pulling out a small jar candle, she took the lid off and set it down on the table.

"Ric?"

"Shouldn't you be asleep by now?"

She gave him a little smile. "Did I disturb you from your eternal rest?"

He returned the smile and crossed his arms. "You disturbed my eavesdropping actually."

"Ah. Well, I'll let you get back to it after you help me with something."

"What do you need?"

Addie twisted her hands together. "Do you know anything about magic?"

He shook his head. "Not a lot. Bonnie's the one that you should field those questions to. Why?"

"Bonnie's the one that asked me to try to do magic. She wants me to try to light a candle with it."

"But vampires can't-"

"Do magic? I know. She still wants me to try though."

Ric motioned to the candle. "So go ahead. I have to say, I've seen a lot of strange things in town. Finding a vampire who can do magic, why the hell not?"

Addie looked over at the candle and frowned. "If this works, I really don't like what it'll mean."

"What will it mean?"

Addie did what Bonnie told her. She closed her eyes, pictured the candle being lit and just pushing out with that thought. When she opened her eyes, the candle was flickering brightly.

"Addie? What does it mean?"

She breathed deeply and released a shaky sigh. "It means I'm the one that needs to cast the spell to get rid of Silas. It means I have to die twelve times over in order to do it."

"And that's why you're here."

"Hey, Addie!" Stefan shouted. "Tell the ghosts to knock it off!"

Addie opened her bedroom and peered over the railing down into the living room where Stefan and Damon were looking up at her. Before she could ask him what he meant, she saw it for herself: the entire room below her had every candle burning.


	9. Chapter 8: Broken

**Author's Note: **This is a shameless plea to please read and review. Reviews are the only payment that fan fiction writers receive. So please keep that mind as you read this story and other fan fictions as well. Thank you!

**Roll Away Your Stone**

**Chapter 8: Broken**

Damon grabbed the bourbon bottle when the bartender wasn't looking and poured himself an unhealthy dose. He was halfway through the tumbler when the poor bastard noticed and wandered over to him.

"You know that's my job-"

"You're going to leave me alone tonight."

The guy wandered off under the compulsion while Damon finished off what was left in the glass and refilled it. He had gone to the little memorial that was held for Bonnie, relegated to the back of the small crowd with Stefan while Caroline and Matt comforted Elena. One hundred and fifty years and nothing much had changed for him and Stefan. Both were still standing back and waiting for the woman, who had both of their hearts, to make a decision. The only difference was Katherine did it on purpose, Elena just genuinely didn't know.

But Damon knew. He knew exactly where the relationship was headed when the news reached them that Stefan had been missing for the entire summer. Even if Elena wanted to continue the relationship, he wasn't sure the guilt would allow her. And so commenced the last two weeks of being on a sinking ship and trying to enjoy every last minute of it. Eventually, though, the ship always goes under.

He picked up the tumbler and drained it. "So Ric, I had the girl and let her go."

But that was at the bottom of it all. He watched Stefan ever since his return. Whatever Addie had done to keep the ripper at bay was working. His brother was happy, at ease and still very much in love with Elena. Stefan had stepped back but he couldn't let go of her completely. Damon wasn't sure he could do it either but he was going to try. Stefan deserved to be happy. Hell, they all did after everything they'd all been through. He just had to resign himself to waiting another hundred years until the next epic love rolled around.

"Do you want some company or is this just a one person pity party?"

Damon started to tell the person to get lost when he saw it was Addie. He couldn't send her away, not when she needed a friend as much as anyone of them. "Want me to get you a step stool, Shorty?"

She scowled but there was a spark in her eye that took the venom out of the facial expression. She did have to hop up on the barstool but due to her vampire abilities made it look graceful. Instead of grabbing of a bottle of alcohol, she snatched an olive jar.

"Going right for the hard stuff."

Addie opened the jar and popped a couple olives into her mouth. "I have a very low tolerance for alcohol."

Damon grabbed another tumbler and poured her half a glass of bourbon. "Well, let's work on that."

"Don't you think we should start with something a little more watered down that this?"

He shrugged. "I'm a learn-to-swim-in-the-deep-end kind of person."

She smiled slightly. "Yeah, I remember that about you."

He had to admit, he remembered quite a bit about her too, even if those memories were dimmed by human eyes. He didn't remember her having freckles splashed across her face and cheeks though. "So how did you manage to keep such a low profile in the camp? We didn't have a lot of wounded for you to feed."

"I ate the wildlife mostly. There were a couple witches in the camp, mostly the cooks, who knew what I was. But since I was running slaves and not eating anyone, they kept my secret."

"Still, that's impressive. We were a small contingent. You could have wiped us off the face of the earth and covered your tracks easily by blaming it on Sherman's scouts."

She wrinkled her nose. "No, I couldn't have done that. I have this little issue of not being in possession of a humanity switch. The guilt of taking an innocent life would destroy me."

Damon refilled both of their drinks. "Every vampire has at least one bloodbath in their history."

Addie shook her head. "Not me. My emotions always kept me in check. I have done mercy killings though, feeding off those who have given up and those who ask me."

"How are you sure that they're ready to die?"

"Their heartbeat," she answered with a sad note. "It doesn't race when you come near, it remains steady. That's how I know that they're truly at peace with their fate."

"So is that why you crashed the pity party? Bemoaning the inability to turn off your humanity and go on a good, old fashioned rampage? Or did you lose a friend and then have your significant other give you the 'it's not you, it's me' talk?"

"Actually, neither is what brings me here." She picked up the tumbler of bourbon, took a sip and winced. "I don't think bourbon is my drink of choice."

Damon poured himself another drink. "The suspense is killing me."

Addie leaned closer to him. "I think we may have found a way to get rid of Silas."

"Who exactly is 'we'?"

"Jeremy, Bonnie and I."

"So a hunter, a ghost and a vampire have come up with a way to get rid of a psychic, 2,000 year old immortal." Damon finished another glass. "It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke."

Addie leaned over the bar again and grabbed one of the small votive candles that were used on the tables. She set it down between them, leaned back and closed her eyes. Damon watched as the candle suddenly light out of thin air. He may have been well on his way to complete inebriation but he wasn't that far gone yet.

"Cute parlor trick."

"It's not a trick, Damon. Last night, in the lake house, when all the candles lit themselves and you and Stefan thought it was ghosts? That was me."

"Either you really can't hold your liquor or no one passed along the memo to you. Vampires can't do magic."

"But I can. Bonnie thinks it's only temporary and once I get rid of Silas, my connection with magic will be severed."

Damon put the bourbon bottle back behind the bar. Being completely wasted might actual help the discussion make sense but then he wouldn't remember it in the morning. "Okay, how are you going to get rid of Silas?"

"The Bennett grimiores have a spell that was worked on for hundreds of years. A binding spell that will give the caster the ability to push someone over to the Other Side. There's also a plus side that Bonnie didn't tell Jeremy about but I caught it. When you push that person to the Other Side, you have a choice to bring someone back."

"Bonnie."

Addie shrugged. "Or Ric."

Damon felt a gust of cold air on the back of his neck. "What the-"

"That's Ric." Addie motioned to the empty chair beside Damon. "He's doesn't want to come back and he gets angry whenever I mention it. He believes Bonnie should be the one to return."

Damon stared at the empty chair, looking for any sign of his fallen friend. "Sounds like him."

"He also says thank you for always saving his chair for him. He uses it as often as you save it."

"Yeah, that's not creepy. So what's the catch with this spell? There's always a catch."

Addie tapped her fingers on the bar. "The catch is the caster of the spell has to die twelve times over in order to complete the spell. The only reason this will work is because of the expression triangle. This spell, by sending Silas to the Other Side, will close the expression triangle. It took twelve humans, twelve hybrids and twelve witches to open the triangle. It'll take a vampire dying twelve times over to close the damn thing."

"So that's why a vampire has magic. So you can die, come back and keep on casting the spell."

"Yes," Addie nodded. "However-"

Someone came and sat down on Addie's other side. It only took a moment for Damon to realize who it was and he grabbed Addie, yanking her off the barstool and putting her partially behind him. "Silas."

He still looked like Stefan though the body language was completely different. He leaned back against the bar. "Don't let me interrupt your little conversation about getting rid of me. I believe you were on the part where you're going to need a bunch of witches to carry the spell while you're regenerating."

Damon looked down at Addie, who nodded her head once.

"See," Silas continued, "and that's why I'm not concerned. Being a witch myself, I know how much my kind despises vampires. Add to that a vampire who can do magic and you've become a double abomination."

Addie's grip on his arm tightened minutely at the word abomination but she didn't say anything.

"You won't get any support from that community. The amount of power needed to carry through with this spell doesn't exist. But" he took Addie's unfinished drink and downed it in one go, "good luck trying. Now, Damon, where's Katherine?"

"Don't know. Haven't seen her for a few days. I've been a little busy."

"Right, comforting your girlfriend through the loss of her best friend. How positively caring of you. Shame, she's not with you now. I guess she's had enough of your comfort and has moved on to better things. Do you ever get tired of losing the loves of your life to Stefan?"

Before Damon could even respond the taunts, Silas' hand bent itself in an awkward angle and he shouted in surprise. It didn't take him long to right the broken bones and shake the pain off before eyeing Addie with more menace than before.

"You need to leave," Addie spat through gritted teeth.

Silas gave his hand one last snap. "You watch yourself, little girl. You're not that low on my naughty list."

Addie stood up to her full height, her anger making her larger than her diminutive frame. "I will put you down."

"And I'll enjoy dragging you to Other Side with me if you somehow manage it."

"Death doesn't scare me."

"Really? You're not afraid to die when," Silas moved around her and clapped Damon on the shoulder. "You have so much to live for now?"

Damon shrugged him off and Silas left the Grill. "What was that about?"

When no answer came, Damon turned around to see that Addie had fled the Grill as well.


End file.
